


Here's To Another 365 Days

by thatpeculiarone



Series: Neighbours!AU series [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Deaf Dean Winchester, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, I'm not paying for ya'lls dentists, M/M, New Year's Eve, Timestamp, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, coda!cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28500681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatpeculiarone/pseuds/thatpeculiarone
Summary: "Cas couldn’t help but sigh in contentment, knowing that there was no better way to wake up than this. He looked down to see his boyfriend cocooned into his side, eyes shut closed, still soundly asleep. He had his neck buried in the crevice of Cas’ neck and shoulder, just above his collarbone. His hair lightly tickled against Cas’ jaw, as he slowly breathed in and out. Cas turned his head slightly so that he could place a kiss atop Dean’s head, before moving his hand so that he could rub circle’s into Dean’s bare back to wake him up..."One year on from their first meeting as neighbours, Dean and Cas are hosting a New Year's Eve party for their closest friends and family. With a day full of shopping, cleaning, spending time together, and meeting more of the family for the first time planned, Castiel reflects back on how far they've already come, and how grateful he is to have someone like Dean in his life.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester, John Winchester/Mary Winchester
Series: Neighbours!AU series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947106
Comments: 12
Kudos: 78





	Here's To Another 365 Days

**Author's Note:**

> **DISCLAIMER:** I am not d/Deaf but I did put a lot of work into making this as accurate as possible. If anything is deemed as offensive, please let me know! Also, dialogue may seem 'stilted' throughout but that is because elaborate English conversations with descriptive words are just not translatable into ASL!
> 
> **This is a timestamp to my previous fic in the Neighbours!AU series.** For this to make sense, please read that fic first [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242262).
> 
> Thank you to my lovely friend [Ari](https://willowywings.tumblr.com) for beta'ing! 
> 
> PART 5 OF MY BINGO SERIES: **Domestic**

In his two years living there, there was a lot Cas had come to love about Lawrence.

First of all, he loved the beauty that the city held. He knew most people wouldn’t think of the college town as something picturesque, but to him, it had its own strange charm. It wasn’t like he had much to compare it to, considering when he stared out the window of his bedroom in Chicago, all he saw was the grey walls of the apartment building across the road and the occasional neighbour hanging out their laundry. Here in Lawrence, when he looked out the window, he saw the big green oak trees that lined his street and the red and white roofs of the neighbouring houses. Sometimes, when the weather was just right, he saw how blue the sky in Kansas really could get. He loved the fresh breeze, and the way the sun trickled through his window every morning, and how the dust that gathered on the sill would dance in its rays. 

However, there were many more things to love about Lawrence.

He loved his job, being the associate professor of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture. He loved spreading awareness about the culture he’d grown up in. He loved seeing the way many of his hearing students slowly began to become more aware of the fundamental rules of the Deaf culture and slowly began to learn more and more signs. He enjoyed watching their knowledge of sign language progress over the year, to the point that by finals, he was able to hold conversations in ASL with the majority of them. 

He loved his friends, from Charlie, to Benny, to Garth. Charlie, the fiery redhead who was a wizard with computers and IT. She was also the only other hearing friend in his group. Benny, a mechanic and Garth, a local store owner were both Deaf and communicated through ASL. Charlie, having been friends with the group for a while, had learnt sign language in her late high school years and through frequent practice, was as fluent as the rest of them. Cas didn’t have many friends back in Chicago and found that his new found friendships were another reason to love being in Lawrence. 

The town, his job, and his friends were only just some of the reasons that he loved Lawrence. However, no one could deny that what he loved most about Lawrence was Dean Winchester. 

That morning, Cas awoke to a soft, feathery sensation on his jaw. In fact, most mornings he awoke to this sensation, to the point that he recognised what the feeling was even in his sleep-induced haze. He took a moment to blink his eyes awake, taking in the soft morning light of his bedroom. On the left side of his body, there was the weight of a warm body and the feeling of soft gushes of air on his neck every few seconds. Cas couldn’t help but sigh in contentment, knowing that there was no better way to wake up than this. 

He looked down to see his boyfriend cocooned into his side, eyes shut closed, still soundly asleep. He had his neck buried in the crevice of Cas’ neck and shoulder, just above his collarbone. His hair lightly tickled against Cas’ jaw, as he slowly breathed in and out. Cas turned his head slightly so that he could place a kiss atop Dean’s head, before moving his hand so that he could rub circle’s into Dean’s bare back to wake him up. It didn’t take long, as this had become a morning routine of theirs. He watched as Dean began to stir, before his eyelids fluttered back revealing his dazed, green eyes. Cas watched as Dean’s focus adjusted before he titled his head back so that he could look up at Cas. The moment their eyes met, Dean smiled bright, and Cas couldn’t help but do the same. 

_“Good morning.”_ Dean signed, adjusting himself so that he could communicate better. 

Cas smiled.

_“Good morning,”_ he signed back, _“how are you this morning?”_

Cas could tell that Dean knew the exact reason he was asking, because of the way his boyfriend’s face suddenly flushed a dark red. 

_“I’m good,”_ he replied, _“sore, but good.”_

_“I’m glad. I was worried that it was too much.”_

Dean shook his head. 

_“It was good, I promise. I really enjoyed it.”_

They both took a moment to stare at each other, the memories of the night before flashing in Cas’ mind. Their bare, flushed skin pressed tightly together, the soft whimpers of Dean in his ear, the overwhelming pleasure ---

Cas took a deep breath, pulling himself out of the memories before he became too aroused. 

He wanted nothing more than to start over, right there and then, but unfortunately they had a prior commitment for their day. One that Cas had almost forgotten about, but now that he remembered, he felt nervousness build in his stomach. 

_“What’s wrong?”_ Dean, ever so observant, noticed Cas’ nerves immediately. 

_“I’m just worried about tonight.”_ Cas replied honestly. Dean rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face. 

_“How many times have I told you? My family already loves you. Sam’s been wanting to meet you for a year. Tonight’s going to be awesome.”_

_“I know,”_ Cas sighed, _“your parents are great. And you have told me many amazing things about Sam. But, you and your brother are close. I’m worried that he won’t think I am good enough for you.”_

He watched as Dean rolled his eyes, _again,_ before shuffling in bed so he could roll over and onto Cas’ stomach. 

“Oof!” Cas grunted, shooting a mock glare at his boyfriend. 

Dean just grinned, laying down while resting his hands just in front of him, directly in Cas’ view. 

_“Sometimes, I don’t think I’m good enough for **you,**_ ” Dean said, strongly emphasising the sign, _“you are smart, handsome, adorable and kind. My parents noticed that about you from the day you met them. I always tell Sam about the wonderful things you do. You don’t have to worry, okay?”_

Cas nodded with a small smile on his face. He held up his hand so Dean could see it, forming it into the sign for ‘I love you’. Dean’s eyes brightened, before he did the same with his own. Cas reached out and rubbed his thumb along Dean’s cheekbone, before cupping Dean’s cheek in his palm. Dean melted into the touch and for a moment, they laid like that, staring at each other with fond gazes. Cas appreciated these private moments with Dean, when the rest of the world faded away leaving nothing but the two of them. They had been so far and few in the recent months, with Dean getting promoted and Cas taking on an extra class. Between both their work schedules, they had spent most of their nights passing out together on the sofa rather than having sweet, tender moments. 

Cas supposed that’s why the holidays were so special.

The moment broke when Dean lifted himself up onto his forearms, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on Cas’ forehead. He then, in one swift movement, rolled off Cas and onto the carpeted floor of their bedroom. He stretched for a moment and relaxed his muscles, before turning to Cas with a sly look in his eye.

_“I am going to have a shower,”_ he signed, walking backwards towards the bathroom door, _“are you going to get out of bed and join me?”_

The next sound Cas registered was his own thump as he fell out of bed and onto the floor, along with Dean’s throaty chuckle echoing on the bathroom walls.

…

Cas had first proposed the idea of moving in together when they were six months into their relationship.

They had made their relationship official in late September, several weeks after they first met. It took a couple of dates, lots of conversations and several clumsy kisses on the front porch for them to put a label on what they were. It came as no surprise to their group of friends, who had seen them practically attached at the hip for those few weeks. From the moment he’d met Dean, Cas had immediately noticed the chemistry between them. They were drawn to each other like magnets, continuously seeking the other’s presence. 

When spring break rolled around a couple of months later, Cas had spent the entirety of his break at Dean’s place. Despite living right next door, he found that he rarely went back to his own home, unless he needed a change of clothes. He could barely remember a minute where he wasn’t sitting beside Dean, or making out with Dean, or dragging Dean to the bedroom…

That’s why the weekend before break ended, when they were sitting watching a movie together, he’d decided to make his suggestion. 

_“This is sudden,”_ he told Dean, _“but would you want to move in together? Get our own place together. I know we’ve only dated a little while and I understand if you don’t want to. But I really would like to live with you. I would like us to live together.”_

Dean was silent for a moment and was just staring at Cas with startled eyes. At first, Cas had been worried that Dean was going to reject the idea outright. Instead, Cas was tackled backwards into the couch as warm lips met his. 

It was safe to say that after that, he’d already known Dean’s answer.

…

After a quick shower together (there was no time for fooling around), Cas found himself dressed and in the passenger seat of Dean’s impala, on the way to their local supermarket. Being the middle of winter, it was cold and icy outside, which made Castiel grateful for his warm coat. He was also grateful for the warmth of Dean’s hand, which held tightly onto his own. No matter how many times Cas had tried to argue that Dean should keep two hands on the wheel, his boyfriend was a sucker for holding his hand while driving. Despite continuously making a fuss about it, Cas actually found it endearing, and often found himself having to pretend he didn’t like it so much. 

The supermarket was fairly busy when they arrived, with many people in the store there for the exact same reason they were. New Years Eve meant parties, which meant most people were hunting for snacks and drinks. Cas and Dean beelined for the chips aisle, stocking their cart full of various potato chips for the evening. Despite having lived together for over six months, the two of them had never hosted an event at their house, excluding the occasional times they had friends over. Having spent Thanksgiving in Chicago with Cas’ family and Christmas in Lawrence with Dean’s family, they decided it was their turn to host a celebration. 

As they wandered up and down aisles, Cas couldn’t help but reflect on the fact that another year was almost gone. The year had gone by in a blur, so quickly that it was hard to process. One moment, it was February and he’d been celebrating his first Valentine’s Day with Dean, the next it was November and he’d brought Dean to have Thanksgiving with his parents. The year had been wonderful, full of lots of love and warmth. With his job going well, having a good group of friends and being in a loving, committed relationship -- Cas was leaving the year on a high. 

And when he saw Dean in front of him, trying to decide between salsas, he knew that the year wouldn’t have been amazing if it weren’t for him. The amount of happy memories they shared, the wonderful experiences they had together, the amount of times that Dean made Cas laugh. It often surprised Cas just how many times he could fall in love with Dean Winchester -- because it happened over and over and over again. 

They filled their cart to the brim, the four-wheeled contraption practically overflowing with snacks, beverages and an assortment of party decorations. Luckily for Cas, Dean was more than willing to push the monstrosity to the check-out. Together they loaded up the groceries onto the belt, while Cas exchanged pleasantries with the cashier. The cashier was quick and efficient, the huge pile of groceries eventually dwindling down to the last few items. When the cashier finished ringing them up, Dean began digging around in his coat for his wallet. 

“Sir, do you have a rewards card?” The cashier asked, directing his question to Dean. 

Dean, obviously not being able to hear him, kept his head down as he tried to get his wallet out of his coat pockets. No matter how many times Cas had told him that he needed a bigger coat, Dean had never been able to see reason. 

Cas leaned over and tapped Dean gently on the shoulder. When his boyfriend looked up at him, Cas relayed the cashier’s words. Dean made eye contact with the cashier, nodded and signalled for the boy to wait a moment. 

With one quick pull, he managed to yank his wallet free from his pocket, grabbing out both the rewards card and the credit card. Cas stood off to the side and waited as Dean paid, watching as the poor boy, who couldn’t have been older than twenty, apologised to Dean as overtly as possible. Dean just smiled, waving his hand as if to say: ‘it’s fine’. 

Over their year together, both Cas and Dean had worked to find a balance between them. Unfortunately, the world they lived in was not always easy for someone who was deaf. With most conversation being done verbally, Dean sometimes struggled when out shopping, getting food, or visiting any type of public establishment. Cas toed the line between wanting to interpret for Dean to making outings a little easier for him, and giving Dean his independence. It was hard for the world to understand that Dean was a fully-functioning human being who paid taxes, had a full-time job, co-rented a house and was in a committed relationship. Growing up, he witnessed so many people treat his parents the same. Somehow, _deaf = incapable_ to many,and it infuriated Cas to his core. Dean was able to communicate with others, even without the use of sign language. Most people just weren’t willing to try. 

Cas found it easiest to interpret only when he knew he needed to, or when Dean specifically asked. Other times, he stood back and let Dean communicate, not feeling any urge to jump in and attempt to carry the conversation. 

Once the transaction went through, the boy grabbed the printed receipt and passed it to Dean who stuffed it into his back pocket. As Dean was leaving to head over to Cas and the cart, the boy waved goodbye. Dean’s smile brightened and he did the same. 

_“Sweet kid,”_ Dean said as they walked out towards the car. 

Cas nodded in agreement, since both his hands were pushing the trolley. But thinking of the cashier brought a small smile to his face.

Now that boy? He was a person willing to try. 

They put the bags into the trunk and when Cas returned from putting the cart in the bay, he saw Dean hadn’t gone into the car yet. He put his hands into two fists, moving one in a circular motion on top of the other. 

_“Coffee?”_ he asked, with pleading eyes. 

Cas sighed, but agreed.

Because Dean had paid for the groceries, Cas decided to head over by himself to buy their coffees. He knew Dean’s coffee order off by heart, having bought coffee for him so many times before. A couple of minutes later, he walked back out with two takeaway cups and a box of donuts. When he got back to the impala, he was positive that he saw Dean’s eyes actually _twinkle._

Once they got back to their home, they swiftly unpacked the groceries. Neither of them wanted to stay outside in the cold air for any longer than they had to. The groceries were put away in the fridge and cupboards quickly, considering most of the snacks were staying out on the counter, ready for the evening’s festivities. 

With the heater blasting, the two of them piled on the couch with their coffees and donuts. Snuggling close, Dean grabbed the quilt off the back off the sofa and placed it over both of their laps. They sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying their sips of liquid caffeine and bites of their sugary treats. After sometime, Dean ended up turning on Netflix, flicking to a random episode of _Brooklyn Nine-Nine._ By the time they got halfway through the episode, they had finished their donuts and tossed the empty box onto the coffee table. Dean lay his head against the armrest, his back on the cushions, before pulling Cas down with him, so that he was resting his own head on Dean’s chest. They laid like that over the course of a couple of episodes, with Dean switching between running his hand through Cas’ hair and rubbing circles into his back. 

A selfish part of Cas briefly wished they could have cancelled on their family and friends and just rung in the new year that way. 

However, when the mid afternoon started to dawn on them, they decided it was best that they began getting prepared. 

They spent the first hour of preparation cleaning, with Cas vacuuming and Dean mopping the kitchen and bathrooms. Hour two meant preparing the food for their guests. While their party tonight was going to be nothing fancy in terms of food, they both knew they couldn’t just serve chips and salsa. They spent the hour dancing around each other in familiar movements, having lived together so long that they were almost synchronised. Cooking with Dean in the kitchen was one of Cas’ favourite things to do. In recent months, it was one of the only times they spent together during the week, since both of them worked full-time during the day. Dean was an amazing cook and had spent a lot of time teaching Cas all the recipes he knew. 

Together, they prepared a small range of finger food for the party, ready to go for when guests arrived. After they finished that, all that was left to do were the decorations, which took the two of them a grand total of ten minutes. They then stepped into the entry of the hall, surveying their work with pride. 

_“We did good,”_ Cas commented and Dean grinned.

_“Hell yes we did,”_ he replied.

Cas watched as Dean quickly glanced at the microwave clock, before looking back at Cas with a mischievous smirk. 

_“What?”_

_“We have an hour until the party starts,”_ Dean explained, _“and after cleaning, we both need showers…”_

Cas couldn’t help but laugh at the almost evilglint in Dean’s eye.

_“I am unsure as to what you are implying…”_

Cas continued to laugh as Dean grabbed his wrist and tugged him down the hall, leading him to the bathroom for their second shower that day. 

Except this time, their shower lasted _much_ longer. 

…

Some of their guests arrived promptly at 6pm, while others were set to arrive later, closer to midnight.

When they initially agreed to host the party, Cas had commented on how six hours seemed quite long for a party. Dean explained that it was how it worked in his family, so they could spend the early hours mingling. By 9-10pm, it’s hard to have coherent conversations with anyone, due to either intoxication or everyone attempting to talk over one another.

Dean’s parents were the first to arrive, greeting both Dean and Cas with warm hugs. Cas had met them earlier that year at Dean’s birthday dinner in January, and only saw them again recently at Christmas dinner. Dean’s parents had been nothing but kind and friendly to him, accepting him as Dean’s partner almost immediately. However, he knew Dean’s past with his parents was rocky at best. While they had raised Dean while learning sign language to communicate with him, they failed in learning more about Deaf culture. There were multiple times in his childhood where Dean felt as if he were an outcast in his family; either by being left out of spoken conversations, or having to face situations where he was told off for being too loud, something he had no ability to control. Their relationship deteriorated over the years, coming to a screaming halt when Dean came out as bisexual. After a vicious fight with his father, Dean didn’t speak to his parents for two years. 

A few years ago they had made amends, when Dean’s parents made an effort to right their wrongs. They had shown immense progress, from taking classes on Deaf culture to volunteering for local LGBT advocacy programs. Cas knew that Dean was proud of all the steps his parents had taken to apologise for their mistreatment and to prove to Dean that they wanted to be involved in his life. It was like Cas’ parents always said to him: _Love doesn’t come with terms and conditions._

He knew that the way they treated Cas was what officially won Dean over. They had welcomed him immediately into their family, no hesitation whatsoever. Dean hadn’t told him at the time, but he had worried that bringing home a boyfriend would flare up their previous issues and homophobia. Yet, from what Cas had seen, neither of them had been bothered in the slightest. Mary, Dean’s mom, had asked him questions about his profession and family while John had talked to him about Chicago and the sporting teams that they had there (not that Cas really followed sports). Later that night after they left, Dean ended up telling Cas about his past with his parents and how that night had shown how the both of them had grown. 

Cas’ parents had always been supportive of him, neither of them batting so much as an eyelash when he came out to them. He wasn’t able to relate the rejection Dean had felt from his family. Cas may have also been the odd one out in his family, but it never disadvantaged him in any way. So when Dean told him his story, all Cas could do was listen to every word and hold Dean’s hand throughout. He was glad to see that Dean no longer suffered, and that he was on good terms with his parents. It was hard for Cas to believe that the two people he’d met were the same people Dean described. It showed Cas how years of dedication and hard work to change your views and prejudices could pay off, and how most importantly, being a good parent trumped everything else. 

A few family friends of Dean’s arrived afterwards and soon, they had all gathered in the living room to talk, drink and eat. Close to seven was when Dean and Cas’ friends arrived, beginning with Charlie who practically bounded into their house as if it were her own. While she greeted Dean’s parents, Garth and Benny arrived, both of them greeting them with hugs and warm smiles. For a while, small and comfortable discussions popped up throughout the room. Dean, Cas and their friends had their own conversation going, while Dean’s parents and their friends had another. The relaxed ambiance was interrupted when the pizzas Dean ordered arrived, causing a flurry of excitement as the guests helped bring them in before grabbing a slice each. 

Midway through their pizzas was when the last few guests began to trickle in, two of them being Dean’s brother, Sam and his girlfriend, Jess. They had spent the earlier portion of their evening at Sam’s high school friend’s party. Immediately upon seeing his brother, Dean was up out of his seat and bringing the other man into a crushing hug. Sam, who was at least a foot taller than Dean, laughed and gripped on tightly. 

Cas knew that if Dean had to name his favourite person in the world, it would hands-down be Sam. The brothers had always been close growing up, especially because Sam was the most fluent in sign language. Dean had only become deaf a few months after Sam was born, meaning that the younger Winchester had grown up learning sign language in his house as frequently and precisely as he learnt English. He absorbed it much quicker than Dean’s parents, meaning he was able to communicate with Dean more clearly and with a range of more signs. Cas supposed that was just one of the reasons why the brothers were so close. 

Cas trailed after Dean, his own pizza abandoned on a napkin. He walked up to Jess who stood off to the side while the brothers had their moment. 

“Hello, I’m Cas, Dean’s boyfriend.” he said, holding his hand out. 

She smiled, “I’m Jess, it’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard many great things about you through Dean.” 

Cas raised an eyebrow, “Oh, have you?”

She nodded, “I only know the basics when it comes to ASL, but I’m always in the room when he FaceTimes. According to Sam, you’re the topic of about half their conversations.” 

While Cas blushed red, Jess’ smile just grew into a grin. Next to them, the brothers broke apart, turning to look at their partners with small smiles on their faces.

_“Sam,”_ Dean signed, grabbing Sam’s attention through his name sign, _“This is C-A-S, Cas, my boyfriend. Cas, this is S-A-M, Sam, my brother.”_

_“Nice to meet you,”_ Cas spoke and signed at the same time before holding his hand out. 

Sam shook his hand before replying.

_“It’s nice to meet you too, Cas, Dean won’t shut up about you,”_

Dean scowled, causing the both of them to burst into laughter, Jess also joining in. 

_“What have I done?”_ Dean signed, an expression of exasperation on his face. However, Cas knew that Dean was secretly happy to see that the two of them already getting along well. Sam and Jess moved away for a moment to greet Mary and John, while Cas and Dean settled back into their seats to finish their pizza. By the time Sam and Jess wandered back over to them with slices of pizza in their hands, their little group had split up into several separate conversations. Sam used that as his opportunity to talk to Cas, asking him questions about the courses he taught. While Sam was intrigued, Cas knew that to the other two, the conversation was quite dull. Jess was the first to leave them, heading over to join Charlie’s small group. After a couple of minutes, Dean left next, pausing Cas in the middle of his signing. 

_“It’s okay, you two just talk. I’m going to go mingle.”_

Cas nodded and Dean smiled, leaning in to plant a kiss atop Cas’ head before he walked away. 

“He loves you, you know?” Sam said a few seconds later. “I’ve never seen him like this.” 

“I love him too.” Cas responded. “I’m very lucky to have him in my life.” 

Sam grinned, “Good answer, if you’re wanting to score points with me.” 

Cas laughed and rolled his eyes, “If I wanted to ‘score points’ with you, I’d tell you about how my dad has exclusive VIP membership to the Field Museum…” 

Cas spent the next twenty minutes getting interrogated by Sam, who he found was both very curious and very enthusiastic. Dean had mentioned to him months ago that Sam loved museums and studying topics such as language, culture and history. With Cas’ dad being a professor of American History, he had access to special tickets and memberships to the Field Museum in Chicago. A fact that he knew would excite Sam. 

He realised that he really had nothing to worry about when it came to Dean’s brother. Sam was kind and friendly and didn’t seem to have any negative opinions towards Cas. Truth was, apart from their love of academics, they had one thing in common; they both loved and cared for Dean, just in different ways. 

By the time their long conversation dwindled down, Cas spotted that there was only ten minutes until the new year. He hadn’t even noticed how quickly the night had flown by. While Sam went over to Jess, Cas turned the TV onto a live broadcast preparing for the countdown. His eyes scanned the room to try and find Dean, only to see that he was nowhere in the room. He frowned, walking towards the hall where the bathroom was. When he observed that no one was in there, he walked further into the hall, down to the end where the bedroom was. He opened the door and peeked his head inside, noting in the pitch black darkness of the room, there was a figure lying on the bed. 

Cas slipped inside, closing the door behind him. He quietly made his way over to the bed, leaning over and flicking on the lamp. The soft glow illuminated Dean’s sleeping face, resting soundly on Cas’ pillow. Cas sighed fondly, kneeling on the carpet so he was face-to-face with Dean. He gently grazed his hand along Dean’s face, brushing wisps of hair off of his forehead. The soft movement was enough to wake Dean out of his slumber, Cas watching as his boyfriend slowly blinked his eyes open and focused them on Cas. 

_“Time?”_ Dean asked while yawning, tapping the back of his wrist repeatedly.

_“Almost midnight,”_ Cas said. 

_“I’m sorry. I felt tired earlier and I went to just lay down for a moment.”_

_“It’s okay, no need to apologise. How are you feeling?”_

_“Fine,”_ Dean replied, _“I just got exhausted. I was trying to join in the conversation with mom and her friends, but it was too hard. Mom’s not as good at signing as you and Sam. I struggled to keep up.”_

Cas understood what Dean meant, knowing that it was a problem he’d suffered with before. Cas found it easy to interpret, considering he grew up with ASL as his first language. He did sometimes find it difficult to talk and sign at the same time, but when he was just signing what other people said, it was as easy as breathing. However, it wasn’t always as easy for other people and it meant that more often than not, Dean got left out of spoken conversations. It gave Dean headaches, as he tried to lipread and gain context clues as to what was happening. It never usually happened when Cas was around, because he always made sure that Dean was included in a vocal conversation. However, tonight was an exception. 

_“I’m sorry, you should’ve come and gotten me.”_ Cas said.

Dean shook his head and slowly sat up, patting the spot on the bed next to him. 

Cas got up from the floor and sat on the bed, resting slightly against Dean. 

_“You are so caring,”_ Dean began to sign, _“I love that about you. You are always looking out for me and I appreciate that. But you don’t always need to be there to interpret for me. You’re allowed to have your own conversations without me. I think it’s sweet, but you don’t always have to worry about me. I’m fine, I promise. I’d let you know if I really needed you with me.”_

_“Okay,”_ Cas signed, _“but promise me, if something similar happens, next time you’ll grab me. I know you think you’re taking advantage of me when I interpret for you, but you’re not. I’m more than happy to do it, okay?”_

_“Okay,”_ Dean replied, _“I promise.”_

Cas opened his arms up and Dean fell into them, resting his head on Cas’ shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, only interrupted when Cas heard the sounds of everyone beginning the New Years countdown at the thirty second mark. He informed Dean. 

_“Should we go join the group?”_ Dean asked, nodding his head towards the closed door. 

Cas looked over at it, _“It’s up to you.”_

Dean stared at the door for a moment, but shook his head. He turned back to face Cas.

_“Count down for me.”_

Cas listened and followed the countdown, beginning at twenty. He formed the numbers with his hands while their guests chanted them loudly in the living room. Cheers erupted when the clock ticked over to midnight, marking the beginning of a new year. While their family and friends wished each other a _Happy New Year,_ Dean grabbed Cas’ head in both of his hands, bringing their lips together for their first kiss of the new year. 

_“Happy New Year,”_ Cas signed once they pulled apart. 

_“Happy New Year.”_ Dean replied, a small, silly smile on his face. _“Yay!”_

Cas chuckled, leaning over to give Dean another kiss, only to be interrupted.

“Hey! Cas, you in there? Is Dean with you? Where the hell did you guys run off to? Get out here!” Charlie’s voice called down the hall. 

Cas relayed the message to Dean. 

_“We have been neglecting our hosting duties,”_ He said, causing Dean to laugh.

_“Yes, but I am okay with that.”_

_“Me too.”_

They stood up together, giving each other one more fond glance, before heading out the door to celebrate the new year with their family and friends. 

…

Hours later, long after their guests had gone home, Cas woke up in bed. 

Their bedside clock showed that they were officially eight hours into the new year, a year that so far had been uneventful. Cas looked away from the clock and over to Dean, who was in the exact position he had been in the previous morning. Cuddled into Cas’ side, Dean snored softly, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. 

Cas smiled before closing his eyes again, tightening his grip around Dean’s torso. He laid his head back on the pillow, deciding that he deserved a sleep-in after their busy morning the day before. 

As he drifted back off to sleep, one thought lingered in his mind. 

_No year can start off better than this._

**Author's Note:**

> [How to say Happy New Year in ASL](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu92gzZSf6k)   
> 
> 
> My socials, some say hi!  
> [MY TWITTER](https://www.twitter.com/thatpeculiarone)  
> MY TUMBLR


End file.
